There are clear warning signs for Biden and Trump in Georgia, which became one of the nation’s top battleground states in 2020 after Biden became the first Democratic presidential candidate to capture the state in almost three decades.
Nearly half of voters surveyed say they approve of the New York jury’s verdict in May, which found Trump guilty on 34 counts, including a slim majority of independent voters — a group that has long voted Republican in Georgia. And about a third of independents say these convictions make them less likely to support him.
The poll reflects Biden’s efforts to reshape the coalition of young liberals, black voters and swing suburbanites that powered his narrow victory four years ago.
His support among young voters has plummeted, with just 12% of Georgians ages 18 to 29 saying they would vote for the Democrat in the runoff. Previous AJC polls showed Biden enjoying significantly greater support from younger voters.
Most young voters surveyed said the country was “on the wrong track,” more than any age group surveyed.
A majority of voters (56%) disapprove of Biden’s performance in office, including about a fifth of Black voters and more than 60% of independent voters. And nearly 70% believe the country is heading in the wrong direction.
The poll won’t assuage Democrats’ concerns about Biden’s weak support among black voters, the party’s most loyal constituency. About 70% of Black Georgians say they will support Biden while 9% will support Trump. 2020 exit polls showed Biden with 88% of the black vote in Georgia.
But Democrats are far more concerned about black voter apathy than losing black votes to Trump, who garnered about 11% of black support in 2020. Underscoring those concerns, the AJC poll shows that nearly a fifth of black voters are undecided or considering it. stay at home.
The poll was conducted by the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs June 11-22 and involved 1,000 likely voters.
The poll echoes previous survey results that showed Gov. Brian Kemp had higher approval ratings than Biden and other national figures, with nearly two-thirds of likely voters saying they somewhat or strongly its balance sheet.
It also showed continued division among voters over the criminal charges against Trump in Georgia and three other jurisdictions.
Overall, 17% of respondents say New York convictions for falsifying business records related to hush money payments make them more likely to vote for Trump, while about a quarter say it makes them less likely. A majority (56%) say it makes no difference.
“I think the whole thing was a travesty,” said Gary Eubanks, a 75-year-old military veteran and Trump supporter who works part time at a Cleveland retail store. He said that if people “do something wrong, you have to deal with the circumstances.” But at the same time, I am for fairness. I think it was all a sham.
The poll shows that most Kennedy supporters are ideological moderates who consider themselves politically independent. But a handful of once-reliable Democratic and Republican voters have also indicated they will support his candidacy.
“I feel like I’m a typical Democratic voter, but I can’t support the funding for Israel that the party has pushed through,” said Jessica See, a health care worker from Marietta. “I really can’t support a criminal either. Either way, I’m screwed, so I’m going to support the candidate who hasn’t done anything horrible yet.”
Inflation and the economy were by far the most pressing issues for potential voters, with 42% saying they would have the “greatest influence” on their decision.
About 15% said preserving democracy was their top factor, while 13% said immigration was the top concern. Issues like health care, public safety, taxes and abortion remain in the single digits.
Karen Williams, who opened a travel agency after retiring from IBM, said she considers preserving voting rights her main concern after a 2020 election marred by conspiracy theories and lies about widespread voter fraud in Georgia.
“I’m very, very focused on preserving democracy and preserving freedom. The Biden-Harris administration embodies that,” the DeKalb County resident said. “And the opposing candidate, not so much.”
She highlighted the frenzy of activity by the Biden campaign in Georgia aimed at reassuring voters that Biden is competing in a state he narrowly won four years ago. Williams nevertheless expressed concerns about his chances of securing another victory.
“I fear Georgia is out of reach,” Williams said. “But I’m always, always optimistic. I hope Georgia can achieve this again.
Staff writer Caleb Groves contributed to this report.
News Source : www.ajc.com
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